For the second straight game week and third time this season, Real Salt Lake had two players named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week. After a 4-1 road win over the Portland Timbers and a 1-1 draw at home against Sporting Kansas City, defender Danny Acosta and forward Joao Plata each earned recognition.
Plata was on fire against Portland, scoring two goals while putting five of his eight shots on target. He then added an assist on Luis Silva’s goal against Kansas City. In addition, he compiled nine chances created between the two matches, second on the team behind the 13 of Albert Rusnák in those two matches. He now has a goal or an assist in each of his last three matches, with three goals and one assist in that streak to bring his season totals to five goals and three assists.
“Where he’s come from in the first two weeks I was here and the issues he and I had to now where he is completely on board. He’s doing everything we’re asking,” RSL Head Coach Mike Petke said after the match in Portland. “That’s one of the beauties of coaching. To see that, to have that relationship with a player, to be a part of bringing him to a place where he’s firing on all cylinders, it’s great.”
Acosta is a first-time recipient of Team of the Week recognition after the U.S. U-20 left back picked up assists in both matches. Coming on as a substituted for the injured Demar Phillips against Portland, Acosta played a stellar ball in behind the defense to set up Plata in the second half. Then he led Plata up the left wing against Kansas City to earn a second assist on the goal.
Joining that tandem on Team of the Week were goalkeeper Brad Guzan (Atlanta United); defenders Alex Crognale (Columbus Crew SC) and Frederic Brillant (New York City FC); midfielders Alex (Houston Dynamo), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls and Daniel Royer (New York Red Bulls); and forwards David Villa (New York City FC) and Cristian Colman (FC Dallas).
Team of the Week
Week 4: Matt VanOekel
Week 6: Albert Rusnák and Yura Movsisyan
Week 7: Mike Petke
Week 13: Sunny
Week 16: Joao Plata
Week 19: Albert Rusnák and Jefferson Savarino
Week 20: Joao Plata and Danilo Acosta
